Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/137453
y First & Jasper Building by Stacey Carefoot t isn't every day that a project manager gets to reap the fruits of his labour, but as Ledcor's Scott Kapty looks out the window of his new office space, he can't help but smile. Kapty, a long-time Edmonton resident, may not have known it way back when he began working on the First & Jasper project, but this dynamic new addition to Edmonton's cityscape was about to become his new digs. In the past, when people looked at the busy corner of Jasper Avenue and 101st Street in Edmonton they may have seen a bleak space, but GE Capital Real Estate saw potential. GE Capital Real Estate, a unit of U.S. corporate giant General Electric, recognized the possibility for renovation, rejuvenation and an entire reimagination of the space. The company also saw an opportunity to add to its already impressive portfolio in the Edmonton area. Upon acquiring the 20-storey office tower, formerly known as the Epcor Building, GE Capital Real Estate set to work reinventing the corner on which it sits. The first order of business was the demolition of the two adjacent buildings on the site, also owned by GE Capital Real Estate. A former Bank of Montreal building that had sat vacant for a long time and a former theatre-turned-nightclub were removed to make room for a two-storey, 50,000-square-foot podium. "The existing podium was inefficient and poorly designed for today's market," says Nicholas Lagopoulos, asset manager with GE Capital Real Estate. The new podium has immense glazing, will serve as a main entrance to the property and house a central atrium. It will have direct underground access to Edmonton's Light Rail Transit system and also lead the – Nicholas Lagopoulos, way to the underground parking facility. Trendy shopping opportunities and asset manager, GE Capital Real Estate dining options located on the streetscape " This space marries the site together, with the atrium bringing in much needed natural light that disperses through the entire podium. We were happy to get rid of the bunker-like feel of the original building." First & Jasper Building p38-43Masonry_Jasper.indd 41 Renderings courtesy GE Capital Real Estate I will not only serve those working in the building but act as an attraction to the area. "This space marries the site together, with the atrium bringing in much needed natural light that disperses through the entire podium," says Lagopoulos. "We were happy to get rid of the bunker-like feel of the original building," he adds. The exterior of floors, five through 20, remain untouched while all of the tower's interior floor space has undergone a complete demolition and rebuild. "The bones of this building were good," says Lagopoulos. A sentiment echoed by Ledcor's project manager Scott Kapty. "With the removal of the dated building materials from the office tower we were able to rebuild a sound, solid existing structure," says Kapty. The first office tower in Edmonton to receive a LEED-EB Gold certification, First & Jasper boasts hundreds of LEED qualities. "For us we believe that following LEED is the responsible thing to do," says Lagopoulos. GE believes that giving properties an eco-boost by means of a LEED certification will give the company a competitive advantage. "We think that fundamentally the public wants this. They want to be in an ecoimaginative platform," he says speaking to GE's long-standing tradition of sustainable practices. A few sustainable highlights include the capturing of rainwater for irrigation in the building's green spaces and the installation of a high-efficiency june 2013 /41 13-05-30 2:07 PM